PASS IT ON: One little boy’s stunning poem perfectly explains life on the autistic spectrum.
It started out as a simple class assignment, but it transformed into something much more than that for little Benjamin Giroux and his loving family.
Students were asked to write a poem, and were provided the first two words for every line. What 10-year-old Benjamin, who is on the autism spectrum, wrote has since captured the hearts of people right around the world.
At one point, Benjamin poignantly writes:
I am odd, I am new
I wonder if you are too
I hear voices in the air
I see you don’t, and that’s not fair
Speaking to The Huffington Post, his father Sonny Giroux said he and his wife were surprised by the piece, and wanted to share it with the world to provide an insight as to what living with autism is like.
“We were both so proud, and yet so heartbroken, that this was how he felt,” he said, adding: “I also wanted to show Benjamin that he is not, odd, alone, or isolated and that his diagnosis is something to embrace and not something to hold him back.”
The family has been overwhelmed by the public's response, and were delighted to see that their son, who said he felt "out of place" and like a "castaway" has received such support, warmth and positivity.
In less than a week the post has gathered 11,000 likes, which Sonny believes has boosted his son's confidence, telling the publication, “Each like, share and comment he’s received since has made him feel like not only he does fit in and belong in this world, but has also moved him beyond words that he’s touched so many.”
You can read Benjamin's beautiful poem in full below:
I am odd, I am new
I wonder if you are too
I hear voices in the air
I see you don’t, and that’s not fair
I want to feel not blue
I am odd, I am new
I pretend that ypou are too
I feel like a boy in outerspace
I touch the stars and feel out of place
I worry what others might think
I cry when people laugh, it makes me shrink
I am odd, I am new
I understand now that so are you
I dream of a day that that's okay
I say I feel like a castaway
I hope someday I do
I am odd, I am new.
Vocabulary Words:
1. Autism Spectrum - (noun) Autism spectrum disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child's ability to communicate and interact with others.
2. Capture somebody's heart - (idiom) To make somebody love you
3. Poignant - (adj.) Having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad.
3. Insight - (verb) The ability to see and understand the truth about people or situations.
4. Isolate - (verb) To separate somebody/something physically or socially from other people or things.
5. Diagnosis - (noun) The act of discovering or identifying the exact cause of an illness or a problem.
6. Hold someone back - (phrasal verb) To prevent the progress or development of somebody/something.
7. Overwhelm - (verb) To have such a strong emotional effect on somebody that it is difficult for them to resist or know how to react.
8. Castaway - (noun) A person whose ship has sunk (= who has been shipwrecked) and who has had to swim to a lonely place, usually an island.
9. Boost - (verb) To make something increase, or become better or more successful.
10. Beyond words - (figurative expression) More than one can say. (Especially preceded by grateful, shocked, and thankful.)
Discussion Questions:
1. What do you know about Autism? Tell me about it.
2. What are your thoughts and feelings regarding Autism?
3. Should we treat people with Autism indifferently? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever tried wrting a poem? If yes, what was it about? If no, would you try writing one? Why or why not?
5. What do you think is the reason why people write poems?
